Functionize Team

As a pelvic floor therapist, I have the honor of sharing in the very personal details of my patients’ lives. We cover anything from going to the bathroom, leaking urine, childbirth, sex, and everything between. From time to time, patients will even trust me with the knowledge of a past sexual trauma or struggle with fertility. And, when it comes to these types of painful experiences, it can be incredibly difficult for us to talk about. Whether it’s because it hurts too much, or we just feel like we are the only ones who have gone through it. Today I…

As January is coming to an end, so are many well-intentioned health and fitness New Year’s Resolutions that were far too lofty to achieve and maintain for most of the people that made them. According to a study in the science journal The Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, roughly 55% of New Year’s Resolutions are health related, including exercising more and eating healthier, and other studies show that most people give up on their resolutions before January is even over. It’s time to end the repetitive cycle of failed attempts, disappointment, and sub-optimal health. Unrealistic expectations often lead to unmet resolutions…

You’re sitting in your living room and glance at the clock: just five minutes until your physical therapy appointment is scheduled to start. You still need to lace up your shoes, grab your wallet, jump in the car and drive 10 miles across town. The walk from the parking alone will take five minutes! How will you ever make it on time? With rapid advances in telehealth technologies, this scenario could soon become a thing of the past—at least for some of your physical therapy visits. Instead of racing out the door, it’s possible that soon you’ll be able to…

Pain is output from the brain. While we used to believe that pain originated within the tissues of our body, we now understand that pain does not exist until the brain determines it does. The brain uses a virtual “road map” to direct an output of pain to tissues that it suspects may be in danger. This process acts as a means of communication between the brain and the tissues of the body, to serve as a defense against possible injury or disease. The degree of injury does not always equal the degree of pain. Research has demonstrated that we…

Toilet training is an important developmental milestone for children, and is one of the first steps to becoming more self-sufficient. However, toilet training can be challenging for both children and their families. The following tips will help your child create good, lasting habits and avoid future bowel and bladder problems. Wait for it! Typical bowel and bladder development occurs around 18 months of age. Starting toilet training too early can create frustration and lead to poor habits or avoidance of toilet training all together. It can also lead to bowel and bladder problems such as urinary incontinence, bedwetting, urinary tract…

Shin splints, also known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), is a term used to describe symptoms of pain in the front of your lower leg and at times along the inside of the lower leg, next to the shin bone (tibia). It occurs when too much stress is put on the tibia or when the muscle next to the tibia is overworked. It most commonly happens from high-energy exercise or sports that involves running and jumping, and at the beginning of a sports or training program. Thankfully, shin splints can often be treated effectively, and, with proper progression of…

Got back pain? You’re not alone. Eighty percent of Americans suffer from low back and neck pain at some point in their lives. Let that sink in. With such great odds that you—or someone close to you—will one day become a statistic, wouldn’t it make sense to arm yourself with preventive strategies and knowledge? Physical therapy is a good place to start. By performing a thorough evaluation, a physical therapist can identify the muscular, postural and skeletal limitations that could one day lead to an episode of back pain. As part of the assessment, she will observe as you perform…

Healthy bones can help you stay strong and active throughout your life. If good bone health is achieved during childhood and maintained, it can help to avoid bone loss and fracture later in life. For healthy bones, it is important to maintain a physically active lifestyle and eat a balanced diet with plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and perhaps other supplements as needed. Physical therapists can design a unique program for you to help keep your bones healthy. Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that affects both men and women (mostly women), usually as they age. It is associated with low bone…

There are many benefits to exercise, including the potential for improved physical and mental well being. However, there may also be some physical discomfort associated with these activities due to the stresses placed on the body. When experiencing discomfort, it is important to understand the difference between exercise-related muscular soreness and pain. Muscular soreness is a healthy and expected result of exercise. Pain may be indicative of injury. But pain is personal, and the degree of injury does not always equal the degree of pain. Also, different people have a different pain tolerance. Understanding pain is helpful to managing pain. Individual…

Dangerous falls are common in people over 65 years of age and can result in serious injury, and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.5 million older people are treated in the emergency room for fall injuries each year. The average health care costs related to falls is $35,000 per fall. Performing safe home exercises can help strengthen your lower body to reduce your overall fall risk. Always check with your health care provider before beginning a home-exercise program. A physical therapist can evaluate your balance and let you know which exercises are safe for you to…